Mortar shell removed from Metra tracks

By Staff reportApril 01, 2011

Metra's Milwaukee District/North Line trains are moving again after police removed a military mortar from along the tracks near the line's Mayfair station midday today.

Trains were stopped after someone spotted something on the tracks near the station, near Cicero and Montrose avenues, about noon today, a spokeswoman for Metra said. Chicago police were called to the block south of Lawrence Avenue on Lamon Avenue to help with the investigation just before noon, said Police News Affairs Officer John Mirabelli.

A Metra police canine unit determined that the 16-inch mortar shell likely was not live, but it was removed from the tracks by Chicago Police Bomb and Arson investigators, said Metra spokeswoman Judy Pardonnet. Trains were allowed to start moving a little before 12:30 p.m.

The mortal shell, which appears to have been only a casing rather than a full shell and was harmless, may have been unearthed by recent construction work in the area, police said.